Former Labour councillor Tony Mitchell has defended the 1980 Right to Buy scheme, responding to recent criticism from Andy Burnham, who called the policy politically naive. Mitchell recalled his experience as a Labour councillor in the 1970s, citing a visit by Labour housing minister Reg Freeson to the town of Kirkby, where Freeson acknowledged severe problems with poorly designed estates but stated the government lacked funds to address the issues.

When the Conservative government assumed office in 1979, they faced similar challenges with aging and deteriorating council housing. In response, they introduced the Right to Buy scheme, allowing tenants to purchase their council homes at substantial discounts and take responsibility for routine maintenance. Mitchell argued that this policy helped reduce costly repair burdens on local councils.

He also highlighted the broader economic impact of the scheme, noting that millions of tenants took advantage of the opportunity, which in turn boosted business for construction firms, double-glazing companies, and conveyancers involved in property transactions. According to Mitchell, councils continued to manage the remaining social housing stock until the Labour government under Tony Blair introduced "alternative models" for housing management.

Mitchell suggested that these changes under the Blair administration, in which Andy Burnham served as a minister, undermined the system of council housing that had functioned effectively in the postwar period. The debate underscores differing perspectives within the Labour Party on the legacy and impact of the Right to Buy scheme, a controversial policy that reshaped social housing in the United Kingdom.